Le Feu

The son of a French father and an English mother, at the age of 41, enlisted in the French Army and served against Germany in World War I.
Barbusse first came to fame with the publication of his novel Le Feu in 1916, which was based on his experiences during World War I. By this time, Barbusse had become a pacifist, and his writing demonstrated his growing hatred of militarism. Le Feu drew criticism at the time for its harsh naturalism, but won the Prix Goncourt. Le Feu, is the best novel of the WWI.